The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-26
MYSTERIES OF FAN-TAN.
The Favorite sport Of the Almond
Eyed Gambler
From the Baltimore Herald.

The terms are convertible. Every heather
just from the shores of the Celestial Empire
is an accomplished gamester, be he never so
ignorant as regards the manners and Gus
toms OF the Mclean man. In converse
ton with lieutenant of police a reporter
gothered some interesting facts relative to
John Chlnamans mishaps here in Baltimore
while in pursuit of the nimble coin to be
captured only by beating the bank at
that most attractive Of all games Of chance
to the genuine tailed heather, namely,
"fan-tan.h
The able and dignifed lieutenant, who by
long and varied experience with the smooth
tongued, deft-hngered John Chinaman has
acquired knowledge of tho ways and
means employed by the pig-tailed heathen
To blind the eyes of the average policeman,
has o. ten proven of great service to the Of
fceis in preparing TO raid some local haunt
frequented by Cinnamon eager to gamble
I'm the first place. said the lieutenant
''the Cinnamon who come TO this country
are, as rule, dangerous characters. They
are mostly the scum and dregs of the
Celestial Empire, who are dumped over
here by the Chinese government, merely as
a radiance of bad rubbish With this
class of Cinnamon gambling and theft are
second nature. 1t is as necessary for them
to steal and gamble as food is for hungry
man. It's really astonishing to see the
alacrity with which a green Chinaman,
with the scent of the tea leaves still per-
meating his blouse, will master the most
intricate points Of game of chance
''Poker is nothing. 1 have known blear-
eyed pigtail to master the science of that
great American game at one sitting of less
than an hours duration. Unlike the ordi-
nary run of gambling they are adopts at
concealing their emotion. John may have
good, aye an excellent hand, or it may be
most aggravatingly bad, but Johns stolid
features and oldgold complexion will re-
main sealed book to his opponent, who
will always be met with the same calm
smile of satisfied assurance that John al
WAYS calls up when playing, let the game be
what it may. The professional gambler, as
rule, makes use of some certain method
original to himself; at least, he fondlv
imagines it to be. A Chinaman has no
method, follows no set OF rules and depends
from start t6 finish upon his ability to hood
wink his adversary. 1t is almost impossible
for John not to cheat, and there is far more
truth than poetry in that much used saying
of Bret Harte:
''For avs that are dark and tricks that
are vain, the heathen Chinee is peculiar
Its more than likely that Harte had had
some experience with some suave, childlike
heather"
''But how about local gambling? Can
you give me tip ON some game of fan-tan
now in progreSsr asked the reporter.
By way of reply, the blue-coated gentlea
man who presides at the desk led the way
to an innocent looking laundry, situated
not far from the Eutaw House, and intro
duced the reporter to fat-chested, almond
eyed Mongolian, who was busily at work
ironing shirts.
A whispered conversation between the
lieutenant and John Chinaman, and then,
with a preparatory cough, the simple-look-
ing destroyer of line" approached the
reporter and said:
'Mereaddy. Me answer Mclean mans
question
1t would be impossible to write down ex-
actly what that laundryman said. Suffice
it to say that at the end of an interesting
interview lasting over an hour that mild
hammered and soft-voiced man displayed a
surprising knowledge OF the science of the
numerous games of chance popular with
his countrymen.
Fan-tan is game that is peculiarly Chi
nese in character. To begin with, nobody
but a stupid, laundering John Chinaman
has ever managed to master the points of
the game, it being far more intricate than
asuperfciaI examination would seem to
indicate. Then, again, no one but heather
would remain content with such tireSome
and dull mode Of 10 ing ones money. And
finally no one, with the possible exception
of "Kellar or Herman" has the dizziness
of touch and sight to become a successful
dealer at the game. 1t is distinctly and
specially designed for lank laundrymen,
and will never become popular with any
one else.
Fan-tan, to be thoroughly enjoyed by the
average Cinnamon, must be located in the
rear or in the cellar of regulation laundry.
In addition it is necessary that complete
system OF scouts and lookouts must be estab-
lshed previous to the commencement of the
game. This is required by the fact that
stupid policeman might by some unfortu-
nate mischance stumble into the apartment
while the game is in progress. And a
policeman is an entirely unnecessary guam
tity in connection with the fascinating
game of fan-tan. The poor heather Chinee
has discovered long before this that the
average police officer takes grim delight
in dragging some unfortunate John China
man before stern Justice, who invariably
compels disguised John to either yield up a
generous slice of "Melican Doodle" or seek
an enforced seclusion in grim and alto
gether disagreeable dungeon cell.
Suppose, for the sake of argument, that
there is no danger of police Interference,
and that first-class game of fan-tan Is
about to commence.
The atmosphere in the small iIl-furnished
room is a murky blue from bad tobacco
smoke. Twenty or thirty John Cinnamon
are standing about the room, pulling softly
at their pigtails, chattering in some out
landish gibberish and cycling intently
bloated, greasy-looking heather who
is to form an important part
in the coming game. He is,
in fact, the dealer, and as he advances to
and seats himself before square, brown
painted table, in the corner of which are
the numbers from one to four, the chatter
ing suddenly comes to an abrupt close and
all hands give their attention to the dealer
and the men in the game. The dealer draws
from box handful of cash, consisting of
small coins and losses them in the centre of
the table. Then you might hear pin drop
Slowly and very quietly the dealer takes
bronze cup and places it over the coin,
which is a far more difficult feat to accom-
plish than one would imagine it to be-
Then after much talk, accompanied by
the most violent gesticulations, the players
place whatever sum they care to risk upon
either of the four numbers. After every
thing is satisfactorily arranged the dealer
again takes hand in the game. He takes
n long and slender chopstick, Inserts it I'M
der the cup and draws out four coins. No
one, not even the placid, easy-going dealer
himself knows how many coins have been
placed under the cup in the first place. If
the players grow timid and want to hedge
they have right to change their bets at any
time during the drawing out of the coins,
I'LL. afo D, n